The technical staff of the first football team of Al-Hilal Club received a painful blow with the confirmation of the absence of the French star Theo Hernandez from the ranks of “Al-Zaeem” in the anticipated match against Al-Hazm Club, within the competitions of the fourteenth round of the Saudi Professional League competition, which is scheduled to be held on the grounds of Al-Hazm Stadium.
The absence of the influential French full-back stems from disciplinary regulations regarding accumulated yellow cards. He received a yellow card during Al-Hilal's recent tough match against Damac in the previous round. According to the Saudi Professional League's rules, accumulating the maximum number of yellow cards results in an automatic one-match suspension, which has been officially confirmed, ruling him out of the coach's plans for the upcoming game.
Theo Hernandez's return date and the Al-Nassr match
Despite his absence, the good news for Al-Hilal fans lies in the player's return date; Theo Hernandez will be ready to participate fully in the highly anticipated Riyadh derby against arch-rivals Al-Nassr. This fiery encounter is part of the fifteenth round of the Saudi Professional League, and Al-Hilal supporters are counting on a full squad for this potentially decisive match in their title race.
The context of the competition and the importance of points
Al-Hilal enters this period with high morale after securing a valuable 2-0 victory against Damac in the previous round, a match in which the team demonstrated its defensive and offensive strength. The upcoming match against Al-Hazm is of paramount importance to the coaching staff, as the team seeks to continue its winning streak and avoid any unexpected setbacks against teams vying for positions in the league table, especially since Al-Hazm will be looking to capitalize on home advantage and the support of their fans to achieve a positive result.
This season's Saudi Professional League is witnessing unprecedented competition both domestically and internationally, with Saudi clubs attracting some of the brightest stars in world football. Maintaining squad stability and rotating players amidst suspensions and injuries is one of the biggest challenges facing coaches, especially Portuguese manager Jorge Jesus, who aspires to lead Al-Hilal to victory and reclaim the league title. This makes the three points against Al-Hazm just as crucial as those in the upcoming derby.
